Anosike: Siena has found its identity

LOUDONVILLE – Siena senior forward O.D. Anosike said he believes the Saints have finally accepted their limitations and found a winning formula.

Siena (4-13) takes the momentum of a modest two-game winning streak into its western New York trip against Niagara on Thursday and Canisius on Saturday.

“We’ve got to understand what type of team we are,” Anosike said. “I think it took us a while to understand our identity. We understand we’re a team that wins (scoring) in the 60s. We understand that we’re a zone (defensive) team. We understand that we need a couple of guys to play well in order for us to win. That’s just the reality of it. We’ve just got to go up and there and know what type of team we are, play to our strengths and exploit the other team’s weaknesses.”

Anosike was asked if some players had trouble accepting this halfcourt style of play earlier in the season.

“We obviously thought we we had enough talent in the room, but sometimes we can’t get into track meets with teams that have more firepower,” he said. “So right now, we understand what type of team we are. It doesn’t make us a bad team, it’s just simply we know what we are now.”

Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro said Anosike’s take was “pretty accurate.”

“I think we finally have it where we know what we have to do in terms of winning games,” Buonaguro said. “The identity is now certainly being in terms of the zone, playing with more discipline. The roles, I think, are more defined.”